Former Florida State Star Identified as Trade Candidate ahead of 2023 NFL Draft
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The NFL Draft will take place later this month and there's expected to be a lot of trade activity throughout the league. That could have multiple stars on the move after the Los Angeles Rams traded All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins in March.
READ MORE: Three-Star Defensive Tackle Keishawn Mashburn Backs Off Pledge to Florida State
Another former Florida State standout might be finding a new home in the near future. Chatter has been swirling around Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook over the last couple of weeks. He has three years remaining on a contract this is still worth north of roughly $43 million.
The Minnesota Vikings are close to surpassing the cap prior to the 2023 NFL Draft. After moving on from franchise favorite Adam Thielen earlier this offseason and re-signing running back Alexander Mattison, will Cook be a cap casualty?
It's a possibility according to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, who recently listed the Florida native as a candidate to be shopped or traded with the draft approaching.
"At full speed, Cook is still one of the NFL's best pure runners, fresh off a fourth straight 1,000-yard campaign. But he's going on 28 with a history of nagging injuries, has racked up 1,500 career touches and is due at least $14M in each of the next three years. Minnesota hasn't been shy about bidding fan favorites farewell to free up money this offseason. Cook's departure would save the Vikings almost $8M via trade, allowing Alexander Mattison to headline the next backfield rotation."
If Cook is traded prior to June 1, the Vikings would save nearly $8 million of cap space. That number jumps up to $9 million if he's released after June 1 and $11 million if he's traded after that date.
Despite getting banged up, Cook is coming off a campaign where he started every regular-season game for the first time in his professional career. He recorded 264 carries for 1,173 yards with eight rushing touchdowns while catching 39 passes for 295 yards and two more scores. Cook has rushed for 5,993 yards and 47 touchdowns on the ground in six years.
Cook spent his college career in Tallahassee, developing into one of the top running backs to ever don garnet and gold. He ranks second in FSU History with 5,399 all-purpose yards and is seventh in ACC History. Cook was a unanimous All-American, All-ACC First Team selection, and the Orange Bowl MVP during his final season at Florida State in 2016.
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